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City Business Journal Network Chooses Aflac Over a Field of 250 Competing Brands



COLUMBUS, Ga., April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the Georgia-based insurance giant, announced that it has been selected as the top brand in the insurance and financial services industry by City Business Journals Network (CBJN) in 2009. This year marks the first time Aflac has grabbed first place in the industry, capturing the American Brand Excellence Award.



Aflac and winning companies in five other categories were chosen by more than 1,400 business owners and managers of small and mid-sized firms as the brands that best meet the needs of their businesses. More than 250 business brands were rated in the nationwide survey based upon criteria including industry leaders, forward thinking, growing popularity and ethical behavior.



"The Brand Excellence Award illustrates Aflac's steadfast commitment to providing the best products and services to consumers," said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Charney. "We are honored by this recognition, especially as it reflects the opinions of business leaders across the nation, many of whom offer Aflac products to their employees."



"What makes the American Brand Excellence Awards unique is that they represent how business owners and managers feel about the companies that support their businesses and help them grow," commented CBJN President George M. Conley. "Aflac is a true leader and CBJN is proud to acknowledge them and help celebrate their success."

About Aflac

For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for three consecutive years and was also named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Respected Company in the Global Insurance Industry in 2008. In 2009 Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the eleventh consecutive year. Aflac appears on Hispanic Enterprise magazine's list of the 50 Best Companies for Supplier Diversity and on Black Enterprise magazine's list of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine as America's Best-Managed Company in the insurance category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL (NYSE: AFL).

About City Business Journals Network

City Business Journals Network is an organization of 64 member publications located in major markets across the country. CBJN's member publications have a combined circulation of over 750,000 and a readership approaching four million. Based in Charlotte, NC, CBJN has sales offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It is a subsidiary of American City Business Journals, a unit of Advance Publishing, Inc., whose properties include Conde Nast Publications and the Fairchild and Golf Digest Companies. CBJN is located at 120 West Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 29202; phone 1-800-433-4565; www.citybiznetwork.com



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Media Contacts: Analyst and Investment Contact: Laura Kane Kenneth S. Janke Jr. Aflac Incorporated Aflac Incorporated 706.596.3493 1.800.235.2667, Option 3; Fax: 706.324.6330 lkane@aflac.com kjanke@aflac.com Jon A. Sullivan Aflac Incorporated 706.763.4813 jsullivan@aflac.com





SOURCE Aflac